You guys: we’re almost there! Just four days from now is Christmas (or three days for Christmas Eve, if you’re like my family and do much of your celebrating the night before!). Just four days! I feel like this year has flown by – I mean, I’ve been married for over 6 months now. I’m sure 20 years from now that will feel like just the blink of an eye, but right now I can’t believe it’s been that long already! 🙂

I’m extra excited this year since not only will it be me and the hubby’s first Christmastogether, but we are going to Hawaii! I have never been, so the idea of sun-bathing and snorkeling in the dead of winter is slightly foreign to me, but I think I will easily get on board with that plan!

So since I apparently need to be beach-body-ready in the middle of winter, we’ve been trying to eat a little healthier. Maybe. Sort of. Vegetarian is healthy, right?! Today’s recipe is a tasty one: eggplant stuffed with spaghetti! It’s super simple: like, the hardest part is just hollowing out an eggplant. Be sure to try to get it as close to a 1/2 inch thickness as possible – otherwise your eggplant halves will likely take more time to cook in the oven. You definitely want them cooked well to prevent any bitter flavors from coming through in the dish.

Meanwhile, boil your pasta water and prepare your spaghetti with tomato sauce. If you simply can’t get on board with vegetarian today, you could use a meat-based sauce to toss your noodles in instead! Top with mozzarella cheese and cook under a hot broiler until the cheese is melty, bubbly, and starting to brown. These are super simple to make – ready in just 45 minutes!

1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise with flesh scooped out to leave a ½" border

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

¾ lb. spaghetti

1 cup tomato sauce

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

¼ cup parsley, minced

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Place eggplant halves on a baking sheet with flesh side up. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in heated oven for 14-16 minutes until tender. Turn broiler on high.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. In a small sauce pot, heat tomato sauce and Italian seasoning until warm, about 5-6 minutes. Drain spaghetti and toss with tomato sauce until coated.

Stuff roasted eggplant halves with noodles. Top with shredded mozzarella. Cook under broiler until eggplant begins to toast and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese and minced parsley. Enjoy!